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Author's Note:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-01-23 21:48:45 and 2022-01-25 22:48:29!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 56926793 for 5 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 26
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Back in her room, Lin Xiaoxiao rubbed her chest, but the feeling of unease and discomfort did not lessen because of her actions.
"Why do I feel so uncomfortable?" Lin Xiaoxiao murmured, her hand still rubbing her chest. The next second, Lin Xiaoxiao seemed a little irritable, clenched her fist and punched it hard twice. Perhaps she punched it too hard, because Lin Xiaoxiao coughed twice.
She didn't know why she was so agitated. Was it because Tang Xue compared her to her friends, or because Tang Xue said she didn't mind intimate gestures between friends?
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned and pounded her chest again; the tightness in her chest made her feel suffocated.
[Host, please do not harm yourself; this is very dangerous.] 099's voice suddenly broke the silence.
Lin Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. "Which eye of yours saw me self-harm?"
[Host's behavior just now was unacceptable. Please be careful and don't do it again next time. Protecting other people's bodies is also the host's duty.]
Hopefully, dangerous incidents like today will never happen again. We hope the host will be more aware of protecting others' bodies.
Lin Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at the cold, mechanical voice of 099, "Remember this, I am now the master of this body."
099: [...Won't the host go back later?]
"Did I say I wanted to go back?" Lin Xiaoxiao pouted. "Didn't you say before that as long as I complete the mission, I can live here?"
【That's right, but...】099 seemed to be hesitant about something, and stopped mid-sentence.
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned: "I hate it when people only tell me half of what they mean."
099: [I refuse to answer questions unrelated to the mission. The host will know once the mission is completed.]
Lin Xiaoxiao was speechless. "Don't talk like you know more about missions than I do."
099: [...]
"Alright, I won't make things difficult for you anymore. Let's have a chat. Tell me, how are Tang Xue and I doing now?" Instead of asking those questions that the system either didn't know or didn't want to answer, Lin Xiaoxiao shifted the topic to Tang Xue.
[Of course, that's great. The female lead seems quite concerned about the host now, isn't she?] 099's voice was no longer cold; even her tone was a bit more cheerful. [Right now, we just need to be wary of the male lead, preventing any possibility of him rekindling his relationship with the female lead, and then help the female lead find happiness.]
"Wait a minute." Lin Xiaoxiao thought she was hallucinating. "What did you just say? Help the female lead find happiness?"
"Yeah, right." 099 said matter-of-factly, "The female lead is so pitiful, isn't it our duty to help her find happiness?"
Lin Xiaoxiao pinched the bridge of her nose. "You don't seem to have mentioned this before. I'm not only responsible for helping her get rid of that scumbag, but I also have to make sure she's happy."
"Didn't you say that? Maybe I forgot." 099 said dismissively, "That's not important. Didn't the host say he wanted to find the female lead the best boyfriend in the world? So, let's not worry about it."
Lin Xiaoxiao fell silent. The best, the most perfect man? She rubbed her chest again and said in a low voice, "What if I don't want to?"
【What?】099 didn't hear clearly.
"What if we can't find the most perfect and outstanding man for Tang Xue? What if none of those men can bring her happiness? Will our mission be impossible to complete?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked, and the question changed accordingly.
"No way, the second male lead is pretty good, isn't he?" 099's voice also became somewhat uncertain.
Lin Xiaoxiao's face darkened. "What's so good about him? Where was he when Tang Xue suffered so much? Don't say that Tang Xue didn't like him. He left in despair."
Lin Xiaoxiao naturally knew the second male lead that 099 mentioned. The plot clearly stated that Lin Chen was Tang Xue's childhood friend, but he left Tang Xue because he couldn't have her.
If he really liked Tang Xue, how could he not inquire about her at all? And when Tang Xue was framed and her parents were murdered, this second male lead didn't show up at all.
The more Lin Xiaoxiao thought about it, the more a nameless anger rose in her chest, even though she felt that the author of this novel was just trying to be cruel for the sake of being cruel.
Although she knew that the characters in those books were also powerless to do what they wanted, she was still angry. Every time she opened the book and saw what had happened to Tang Xue, Lin Xiaoxiao felt her nose sting.
[It's okay if she doesn't have a boyfriend. Our mission is to keep the female lead away from scumbags and help her find happiness. Happiness has many definitions, and it's not just about being in a relationship.]
Sensing Lin Xiaoxiao's resistance to the topic, 099 immediately excluded the second male lead from their conversation.
"099, do you have any close friends?" Lin Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, then suddenly asked a question that seemed completely unrelated to the present situation.
【Huh?】099 paused for a moment.
"It's nothing." Lin Xiaoxiao felt stupid for asking a machine such a question.
【Yes】Although Lin Xiaoxiao said it was nothing, 099 still answered Lin Xiaoxiao's question, 【I have the best relationship with 000, and it is also the most powerful system.】099's electronic voice was full of joy and pride.
"What if this 000 also has good friends? Even better friends than you? Would you be sad? Would you feel uncomfortable?"
Lin Xiaoxiao felt that she might have really taken the wrong medicine, actually asking this stupid system such a question. It's a system, not a person, how could it have so many complicated emotions?
But the next second, 099 overturned Lin Xiaoxiao's understanding of it. 099's slightly deep voice rang in her mind, "Of course I'll be sad and uncomfortable."
"Why? Do your machines have feelings too?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked subconsciously.
"Host, we are a system, not a machine," 099 retorted. "Of course we have feelings, host. You haven't actually fallen for the female lead, have you?"
Thinking about how Lin Xiaoxiao had resisted finding a boyfriend for the female lead, 099 realized that she had discovered the problem.
"Do you like her?" Lin Xiaoxiao was taken aback. Although she had heard this question from Bai Bing countless times, she did not think that she liked Tang Xue.
She felt more pity and heartache for Tang Xue, but what happened today made Lin Xiaoxiao start to face the problem squarely.
Why did I feel depressed because of what Tang Xue's friends did to me? Why did I feel so uncomfortable when Tang Xue said she didn't mind?
Is it because of possessiveness? Lin Xiaoxiao sat up straight. Is it because Tang Xue is her good friend now, so she wants to have an even better relationship with Tang Xue?
She had occasionally heard classmates complain that her best friend had met new friends and spent more time with them than with her.
She's unhappy, uncomfortable, and doesn't like the other person's new friends. So, is she feeling the same way now? Does she want Tang Xue to be closer to her? Is this possessiveness as a friend? Does she feel that Tang Xue should be her best friend?
As if she had figured out the crux of the problem, the frustration in Lin Xiaoxiao's chest seemed to disappear, and she let out a soft breath.
Lin Xiaoxiao felt that she was being too childish. She was already an adult, so how could she still have such immature emotions?
Is it because she has never had any close friends that she cares so much about Tang Xue, the good friend she took the initiative to make?
Yes, that must be it. Lin Xiaoxiao smiled. Really, how could she be so naive? Wouldn't that make people think that once they become friends with her, they can't make any new friends?
Fortunately, she didn't reveal too much of her true thoughts to Tang Xue. If Tang Xue knew her real feelings, she would definitely hate her.
Lin Xiaoxiao told herself that they were friends, and she couldn't be so childish. She couldn't be unhappy just because Tang Xue got along well with others. She had only known Tang Xue for a short time, and Tang Xue's friends had known Tang Xue for a long time. Her concern was completely unfounded.
After figuring everything out, Lin Xiaoxiao felt much better. She patted her chest gently, let out a long breath, and smiled. "Don't talk nonsense, we're good friends."
Yes, my friend, Lin Xiaoxiao was already convinced of this idea. However, Lin Xiaoxiao, who thought she had found the crux of the problem, never thought of this.
If they were just good friends, why was he so panicked when he thought Tang Xue would hate him, and why did his heart race when she got close to him?
Why was she so bothered by the intimate actions of her close friends, as mentioned by the other party? Why was she subtly resistant to helping Tang Xue find a perfect boyfriend? And why did she have the thought that it wouldn't be bad to support her all along?
Unbeknownst to Lin Xiaoxiao, her pity and heartache for Tang Xue had gradually changed over time.
Chapter 27
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Because of what happened last night, Tang Xue's face showed an unnatural expression when she saw Lin Xiaoxiao this morning.
"You're up. Come and have breakfast." Lin Xiaoxiao greeted Tang Xue in a normal tone, just like always.
Looking at that familiar smiling face, the corners of her mouth seemed to curve up as if they had a mind of their own. "Does the wound still hurt?" Tang Xue approached Lin Xiaoxiao, looking at her forehead with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Lin Xiaoxiao touched her forehead. "It's just a minor injury, it'll heal quickly, I think it's already scabbed over."
Tang Xue frowned. "I'll change your dressing after you finish eating. Don't worry, I asked the doctor, it won't leave a scar."
Lin Xiaoxiao chuckled, "Okay, then I'll trouble you."
During the meal, neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before. After breakfast, Tang Xue cleaned up while Lin Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa to digest. It had become an unspoken understanding between them that the person who didn't cook would clean up.
Looking at the girl sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed, Tang Xue's thoughts drifted. After Lin Xiaoxiao left yesterday, Tang Xue had been hesitant about whether to go find Lin Xiaoxiao, because she was very concerned about Lin Xiaoxiao's depressed mood before she left.
She didn't know what she had said wrong that turned the other person's excitement into disappointment, but she knew she didn't want to let feelings of disappointment overwhelm Lin Xiaoxiao.
She hoped that the girl could always smile brightly, like the warm afternoon sun, giving people a warm feeling. But when she found out that she was the culprit who made the other girl's smile disappear, the guilt almost overwhelmed her.
However, standing in front of Lin Xiaoxiao's door, Tang Xue didn't have the courage to knock. She didn't know what she was afraid of, but she did indeed flee in panic.
Approaching Lin Xiaoxiao, gazing at her peaceful sleeping face, he reached out and gently touched the gauze covering her wound. His eyes darkened slightly, his emotions a complex mix of confusion and uncertainty. "Which of you is the real you?"
Seemingly uncomfortable from having her wound touched, Lin Xiaoxiao reached out to scratch her forehead, but Tang Xue grabbed her wrist. "Don't move."
Lin Xiaoxiao opened her eyes and saw Tang Xue holding her wrist. She blinked, her eyes filled with the confusion of just waking up.
"Don't scratch your wound." Tang Xue released Lin Xiaoxiao's wrist only after confirming that Lin Xiaoxiao was awake.
Noticing a slight itch on her forehead, Lin Xiaoxiao tilted her head, looking somewhat pitiful, "Itchy."
"That proves your wound is almost healed." Tang Xue gently touched the gauze with some pity. "I'll change your dressing, just bear with it for a bit." Tang Xue naturally understood how unbearable itching was when you couldn't scratch it.
"Okay, thank you for your help." Lin Xiaoxiao smiled gently, dispelling Tang Xue's previously complicated and incomprehensible emotions.
Picking up alcohol and cotton swabs, Tang Xue began to clean the wound on Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead, while Lin Xiaoxiao, who was originally still drowsy, suddenly tensed up.
The cool, delicate fragrance that filled her nostrils was the culprit that caused her to lose control last night. But now, Lin Xiaoxiao held her breath nervously, afraid that she would do something so impolite again.
Too nervous to notice, Lin Xiaoxiao didn't realize that her heart was pounding out of control as Tang Xue approached her.
"What's wrong with you?" After treating the wound, Tang Xue looked down and saw Lin Xiaoxiao's face was flushed and turning purplish-blue.
Tang Xue was startled, her hand trembled, and the alcohol bottle fell to the ground. The sound of the glass shattering startled Lin Xiaoxiao, who took a deep breath. As she breathed again, Lin Xiaoxiao's complexion gradually returned to normal.
Tang Xue touched Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead nervously, "What happened to you just now? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No." Lin Xiaoxiao shrank her neck and her lips moved slightly. She really didn't know how to explain her behavior just now, but seeing Tang Xue's worried look, Lin Xiaoxiao still made up her mind. "I was afraid that I would hold my breath again like yesterday."
Tang Xue's eyes widened, filled with astonishment and disbelief, as if she couldn't believe those words had come from Lin Xiaoxiao's mouth. "You..."
Lin Xiaoxiao lowered her head even further. She felt so ashamed that she almost suffocated when she held her breath. It was just too embarrassing.